The Goblet of Fire, from the Perspective of Dean Thomas
by AurorFelicis3755
Summary: The known plot, but from a new angle. Won't have all the original plot in but will have some new content. When Dean goes to the Quidditch World Cup with his best friend Seamus, it turns into chaos, and leads to a very dramatic year at Hogwarts.
1. Chapter 1 - The Invitation

Dean Thomas was ecstatic. He couldn't believe his luck! Seamus Finnigan's family owl, Quigley, had just delivered him a hastily scribbled note on a ripped piece of parchment. Dean had been excited from the moment he had sighted the owl, as there was only one place it could've come from: the magical world.

Thinking about it, Dean realised he still wasn't used to the idea that he was a wizard - even after three years of magical education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although he would never admit it, as each new school year approached, he was worried they wouldn't invite him back. He had been born to a non magical - muggle - mother, and so he had only learnt the truth at the age of eleven. It was a huge shock, but Dean had been overjoyed. He never felt that he had properly fitted in with his muggle friends; now, Hogwarts was a second home to him.

Smiling at the memory of the magical school, he picked up the letter from his best friend Seamus and read the brilliant news again.

_Hi Dean! _

_Sorry I haven't written much this summer... I'm awful! Well, I can make up for it now, I have awesome news! Mum got us tickets to Ireland playing Bulgaria in the finals of the Quidditch World Cup! I said she had to get you a ticket as a birthday present - and to show you once and for all that Quidditch is better than any muggle sport! Can you come over on Wednesday? The match is on the Monday after so Mum says you can stay until school starts! I can't wait! Send back your reply now! Quigley knows where to go with your answer - I told him to fly extra quick!_

_See you soon - _

_Seamus_

There was an ink stain across the left side of the page. That was typical Seamus; Dean could just picture him writing all those exclamation marks in ten seconds flat, knocking over his ink bottle in his hurry to attach his message to the owl and send it on its way. Grinning all over his face, Dean scribbled back a definite "Yes!" and ran to tell his mother and father all about it.

* * *

Hardly able to breathe, Dean was not comfortable. His brothers seemed to be bouncing around the car like rubber balls, although he knew they must be belted to their seats. The massive, leather trunk containing all Dean's school things rested heavily on his ribcage - it didn't fit in the car boot. His mother had asked if this had "crushed his excitement" and he threw an old sock at her.

Dean's parents had, of course, let him go to the Finnigans' - Mr and Mrs Thomas were so grateful for the generosity that they had insisted on taking him all the way to the house to thank Mrs Finnigan in person. Dean, too, was grateful. He knew, more than anyone else, that the Finnigans weren't rich. Not as poor as some wizards - it was common knowledge that the Weasley family even struggled to afford their spellbooks and robes each school year. Although, unlike Ron Weasley, Seamus was an only child, his mother was the only provider for the two, running a small shop of wizard magazines and confectionery.

Wild bushes and oceans of crops whizzed passed the car window. A fox dashed out of the undergrowth and stared at Dean flying along the road with enthralled eyes. His stomach twisted. Excitement filled his insides - he was going to stay with his best friend, and see the Quidditch World Cup! However, Dean also felt oddly nervous. He had hardly talked to Seamus all holiday; Dean had been to stay in France with his family, and Seamus was awful at replying to any of Dean's correspondence. His nerves intensified as the car drew closer to their destination. He had never been to Seamus' house - or, in fact, any wizard's house. How were you supposed to act in a magical home? Dean tried to recall anything Hermione Granger had quoted on the subject from her expansive knowledge of books; she had practically the whole library in her curly topped head!

Before he could think of anything, however, the car had halted and his youngest brother was rattling at the door handle. Dean's chest remained tight even after the trunk was lifted from his ribs. He hadn't realised how embarrassing his younger brothers were when they argued. He didn't want Seamus to think anything was wrong with his family. But, while Dean was still trying to disentangle the two dark-haired bundles of limbs, his father had opened the door of the dingy shop and walked inside.

* * *

**Notes:**

The Finnigans' owl is named after a Beater in the Irish National Quidditch team.

I know that Dean has a step father and half siblings, but I decided that he would call them his father and brothers and treat them as such, while knowing his true parentage.

Seamus' family has very little detail. I know he has a muggle father, but I always imagined his father to have left the family. If they had married with such a big secret in the relationship, I don't think the marriage would've lasted. Therefore, he has a single mother.

Dean sees a fox out of the car window symbolising Seamus' patronus.


	2. Chapter 2 - Bryne's Brilliant Bargins

In the next moment, two astonishing things happened at once. The first of these things happened to Dean's father. The second his hand touched the door handle he seemed to have a revelation of thought, and he clutched his head in his hands, spun around on the doorstep, then started sprinting down the narrow lane they'd just driven up. The second thing that happened shook the whole house; a ball of flaming heat and shrapnel exploded from an upstairs window, followed closely by something which reminded Dean of Catherine wheels he'd seen on fireworks night with his family. As the cartwheeling shape got closer, he realised it was none other than Seamus Finnigan, his clumsy, accident prone best friend.

"SEAMUS FINNIGAN!" The exclamation came from a short but attractive young witch, who was speaking with more danger in her voice than a thousand of Seamus' explosions. She seemed surprised to see the bemused Thomas family; her aged features didn't seem to fit her youthful appearance, giving her the look of someone who was thinking about too many things for her head. Her sandy curls were clumped back in a fat pigtail and she wore a stained apron on her narrow hips, grey-white, with a pattern of orange and green pumpkins.

"Oh, I am so sorry! I'm Seamus' mother, Aislin, call me Ash. You must be Dean, and - Merlin's Beard!" The witch had just spotted Mr Thomas sprinting down the road and reacted much as he had on reaching the shop's door. She clutched her head and span, but instead of charging down the road she whipped out her wand. Dean's mother looked mildly horrified as green sparks flew from the pointed beige stick towards her husband, but simultaneously seemed to have no idea what to do to stop the proceedings, so let the witch carry on. Dean was just as clueless as his mother about the last few minutes' events, so he consulted the blackened mass laying on the floor.

"What the shrivelfig is going on?!" Dean inquired, aiming a kick at Seamus.

He snorted, half in indignation and half in amusement. "I was trying to do my potions homework..."

"And let me guess... you added just a little to much ginger..."

"It just blew up! I was following the instructions in the book precisely, I swear. Well, I might've added an extra bat spleen when it wouldn't turn powder blue, but -"

"You shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a cauldron. Even looking at a potion book might blow up the whole street!" Dean was hit with a scorched old copy of _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One _by Miranda Goshawk.

* * *

Half an hour later, Dean had a bag of Greta Catchlove's Frozen Flobberworm Fritters clutched to his head while Mrs Finnigan tried frantically to explain what had happened to Dean's Father.

"I am so sorry - We don't get many muggles around here - I have spells in place - This is a magical shop, can't just have just anyone walking in for their groceries - Muggle repelling charms -" The witch looked mortified.

"It's alright, Mrs Finnigan," soothed Dean's mother. "No harm done." Dean's father nodded, but didn't look entirely convinced.

"Unlike poor Dean. Oh, dear! Seamus, I really hope you've apologised..." Her voice had a surprisingly steely edge to it for such a small woman.

"Only about a hundred times," Dean grinned at Seamus. This was the truth, but he looked grateful all the same.

Once Mrs Finnigan had mended the house - Dean was amazed at the way the bricks slotted back together with a few flicks of her wand - Dean's parents left. The minute he'd seen Seamus, he'd known he would have a brilliant time at the Finnigans', so he wasn't too upset about leaving them.

The Finnigans had the best house Dean had ever seen. From the outside, it looked plain and box-like, with faded posters of muggle products covering the shop windows. A little embarrassed, Dean thought he would never have gone in there to buy muggle goods - but Seamus said, "it's designed to look awful. Another anti-muggle measure."

Dean thought that any muggle who walked into the Finnigans' shop - Bryne's Brilliant Bargins - would've had the shock of a lifetime. The pokey shop was lined with shelves, which were stacking themselves with all sorts of produce Dean had never seen before. He ducked swiftly as several bottles of _Mrs. Shower's All Purpose Magical Mess Remover_ flew past his left ear but then had to sway back as tubs of _Professor Bandywart's Bubotuber Acne Treatment _nearly took off his nose. The whole shop smelled like a mixture of the Hogwarts potion ingredient store cupboard and Professor Trelawney's sweet, musky classroom, but these scents combined to make the most homely, comfortable feeling imaginable to Dean. He would've happily stayed for hours examining each of the wizard products in turn, but Seamus was pulling him upstairs for a goblet of cool pumpkin juice and cakes, and realising how hungry he was, Dean ran after Seamus.

* * *

Notes:

Mrs Finnigan is called Aislin (pronounced Ash-ling, hence Ash), a traditional Irish name which comes from aislinge, which means "a vision" or "a dream." Aisling is the name given to a popular poetic genre from the 17th and 18th centuries in which Ireland is personified as a beautiful woman in peril.

Bryne is a traditional Irish surname meaning "raven". The shop has this name attached to it from Seamus' maternal grandparents, who wouldn't've been called Finnigan - Seamus' father's name. I felt Seamus' relatives would've been quite predominantly Ravenclaws from the name that meant raven, so that may come up later on. The name is pronounced as Burn.

_Mrs. Shower's All Purpose Magical Mess Remover_ is a product advertised at the Quidditch World Cup, but _Professor Bandywart's Bubotuber Acne Treatment _is my own invention based on the fact that Bubotuber puss cures acne. The fact that the tubs nearly take off Dean's nose is a little reference to the fact that bubotuber puss is suggested as an alternative to other spell treatments of acne, as Professor Sprout explains - Eloise Midgen accidentally removes her nose while trying out one of these treatments.


	3. Chapter 3 - Darkness and Disillusionment

The days seemed to fly past as quickly as a Golden Snitch at Seamus' house. A five minute walk from the Finnigans' garden took Dean and Seamus to a quiet meadow where they practiced Quidditch, held broom races, and talked for hours at a time, catching up on the events of their summer holidays and discussing the upcoming Quidditch World Cup Final. In the evenings, Ash Finnigan would somehow manage to cook delicious meals while still running the shop - but when it closed for the night they would play Exploding Snap (which Seamus was very good at), Wizard's chess or Gobstones. Dean found life at the little Irish shop so different to the manic chaos he so often experienced at his suburban home in the north of England. As Seamus continued to count down the days to the Cup Final with mounting excitement, Dean found himself wishing that he could slow down time and remain in this peaceful lifestyle for just a few more days.

"I can't believe it. We leave for the Quidditch World Cup Final tomorrow night!" Seamus repeated for what seemed like - and probably was - the hundredth time that day, as he and Dean got into their beds. Ash had made up a bed for Dean on Seamus' floor, putting a charm on the floorboards to make them soft and springy like a mattress. It was still fairly uncomfortable, but Dean was enjoying his time at Dean's so much he barely noticed and definitely didn't complain.

"I know, Shay... you mentioned it a couple of times..." Dean smirked as he could almost hear his friend pulling a face in the darkness of the bedroom. "I'm excited too!"

"I actually get to see Aidan Lynch play, right in front of my face! What if he talks to me?!"

"You'll have a conversation, I suppose?"

"I could get his autograph! What if I can't think of anything to say and he thinks I'm an idiot? Don't you dare say that I always have something to say, or that I am an idiot so he would get an accurate impression of me, Dean, I can hear those words brewing in your mind and I do not want to hear them. I am having a crisis!"

Dean grinned. This was one of Dean's favourite things about being with Seamus; they had spent so much time together that they often knew what the other was going to say. Sometimes he thought that they didn't need to talk at all, as they could converse perfectly well inside Dean's head. "You've stolen all my witty responses so I will have to say something serious and heartwarming now. You're just nervous! Once he sees you in that bright green outfit you've got planned for the day, he will see that you are a massive fan of the team and respect you for it."

"Aw, thanks Dean."

"Either that or he'll think you've just been sprayed with Stinksap by a Mimbulus Mimbletonia..." As a retaliation to this, Seamus rolled off his bed on top of Dean and started tickling him, until Mrs Finnigan shouted that if they didn't shut up and go to sleep _that second_, she wouldn't let them go to the Cup Final.

* * *

By half past seven the following night, everything was packed for the big trip. Piles of Irish green luggage had been stuffed into backpacks with Undetectable Extension Charms. The tent they were to sleep in, carried in a small dirty-grey bag, had the interior of a country cottage, Seamus had explained. Dean wasn't sure if this was a joke or truthful - the magical world always surprised him. After they had done a final check of Seamus' room to ensure they had packed everything - "mum won't let us come back for _anything_," Seamus had said - they came downstairs to find Mrs Finnigan looking slightly harassed with three broomsticks under her arm.

"The Portkey is leaving later than planned. Some issue with teenage muggles and a party in a nearby field - could they not work around that? Why wasn't it spotted before _tonight_, the very night we leave? We have to give the party animals time to have either gone home or passed out drunk before we can go near the Portkey's field - it may be 6 in the morning before we catch it, then we have to find our camping spot -"

"Calm down, mum, you worry too much. We don't need to rush on the flight now, we can have a nice relaxed journey. I've got the sandwiches, by the way. Where shall I pack them?" Seamus waved a paper bag in the in the air.

"Son of a banshee, I nearly forgot about those! Put them in that bag there, thanks Shay dear." She gestured to the bag nearest the door then gave Seamus a forceful peck on the cheek. He wriggled away, turning pink as he noticed Dean looking.

"What's a Portkey?" Dean asked, mostly to change the subject for Seamus' sake.

"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know. I'm so sorry Dean, I always forget. We will explain on the way, we have to get going. We will be travelling to just outside of Dublin by broom. It's a fair few miles, but I can't Apparate with the both of you. Then we catch the Portkey to the camping site near the stadium. Any questions? Good. Let's go." Dean had several questions about this route plan, but Ash had spoken so fast he didn't have time to ask. The bags were distributed - which turned out to be much heavier than they looked - and Dean took his broomstick.

"I'm putting Disillusionment Charms on all of us. There's strict Ministry guidelines about the travel arrangements and one of them is that the few allowed to arrive by broom must be concealed as much as possible, and travel under cover of darkness."

As she said this, she pointed her wand at Dean, Seamus, and herself in turn. She saw Seamus' arms and legs rippling, as if paint the exact colour of the wall behind him was being poured over his limbs. Dean himself was experiencing an odd tingling feeling, and looking down, he saw that he looked identical to his surroundings, like a chameleon.

Stepping outside into the dusky evening, Ash handed out one last piece of equipment before they left - what looked like motorcycling goggles, which enabled them to see through each other's Disillusionment Charms and to see clearly in the dark. Dean felt a little relived at this, as he was by no means an expert flyer and didn't want to be responsible for a broomstick crash with a building or worse, one of the others.

Once their goggles had been pulled over their eyes and their brooms had been mounted, they set off for the Quidditch World Cup Final.

* * *

Notes:

Thank you for the kind reviews, favouritings and follows that I've had! I've only just begun this story and I'm glad you all enjoy the characters of Dean and Seamus as much as I do. I hope you all continue to enjoy the story!

"Son of a banshee" is a phrase from the Youtube video "Wizard Swears", a Potter Puppet Pals creation. I thought it fitted nicely here, so thank you to the creators of that video! If you haven't seen any Potter Puppet Pals, I suggest you watch immediately, all the videos are hillarious.


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